Key Largo - A Miami man, driving with a suspended license, faces
drug charges after he ran a stop sign and a stop light, catching the attention
of a Sheriff's deputy.

Deputy Ryan Cowart was on patrol at 1:30 a.m. today
(Wednesday) near the 99 mile
marker when he spotted a gold colored Ford Explorer running a stop sign at
the intersection of Atlantic and Homestead Avenues. He followed the vehicle
as it ran a red light at Atlantic Avenue and U.S. One, turning southbound.
Just before the deputy attempted a traffic stop, the vehicle turned into a
gas station. The deputy approached the driver, told him what he'd seen and
asked for identification, registration and insurance.

The driver, 23 year old Stephen Armstrong, handed over a Florida
I.D. card. He then began digging through paperwork in his center console. As
he was doing this, Deputy Cowart spotted a plastic bag with white powder inside.
The powder turned out to be cocaine. Armstrong was arrested. A check of his
name revealed his license had been suspended numerous times for failure to
pay traffic fines.

More drugs and drug paraphernalia were found in his pockets,
and in various locations in his car. The contraband found included 37 grams
of marijuana and four small plastic bags of powdered cocaine under the driver's
floor mat, along with three crack rocks, two Xanax pills and several crack
pipes found in Armstrong's pockets and in the vehicle.

Armstrong was charged with driving with his license suspended,
possession of cocaine, marijuana, Xanax and drug paraphernalia. He was booked
into the Monroe County Detention Center.

August 23, 2005

Guatemalan teen electrocuted in Ocean Reef

Key Largo - A Guatemalan teenager,
believed to be 16 years old, was electrocuted while trimming trees at an Ocean
Reef residence Monday afternoon.

The boy, whose name is not being released until his family can
be notified of his death, was working for a Homestead tree trimming business
when he died. He'd climbed up a tree in the back yard of the home on Perky
Road and was using a chain saw at 5:10 p.m. Sheriff's Detectives say it appears
that the branch he was sitting on blew into a power line and the current traveled
up the branch, killing the teen.

An autopsy will be done today or tomorrow to officially determine
the cause of his death.

Two men charged with abusing an elderly man

Big Pine Key - Two men have been arrested, charged with abusing
an elderly Big Pine Key resident.

On July 26th, Lt. Mitch Snider was dispatched to a residence on
Wilder Road. When he arrived, he met with the person who called the Sheriff's
Office. The man said he was a friend of the 76 year old victim. He said he
and his wife check on him from time to time to make sure he is all right. He
said two men had been living with the victim. He said they had not been paying
any rent and he said when he stopped by he found the victim and his home in
a severe state of neglect.

When Lt. Snider entered the residence, he found the victim clothed
only in an adult diaper. The home smelled strongly of urine and dirty clothing
and feces were strewn all over. The victim told him the two men frequently
slapped him, and sometimes failed to feed him for days at a time. A trespass
warning was issued to both men, who left the residence immediately. A report
was then made to the Florida Abuse Registry, operated by the Department of
Children and Families ( 800-962-2873) and DCF began their own investigation.

Warrants were issued for the arrest of both men. On Monday, 43
year old Samuel Lospinoso was arrested and in the early morning hours today
(Tuesday) 51 year old Paul Buetell was arrested. Both men were charged with
abuse and neglect of an elderly person. Bond on each warrant was set at $50,000.00.
Both men are currently in the Monroe County Detention Center.

August 22, 2005

Kansas man charged with aggravated battery

Big Coppitt Key - A Kansas man was arrested for aggravated battery
after he broke a number of bones in the face of another man he got into a fight
with Friday afternoon.

Deputy Brian Luth responded to Third Street just before 7 a.m.
to a report of a fight. When he arrived, the suspect, victim and witnesses
were still on the scene. The victim was unable to be interviewed due to his
injuries and he was transported by paramedics to Lower Keys Hospital. One witness
on the scene was uncooperative and the other gave a statement about what he'd
seen. He was, however, unable to provide information about who started the
fight, which reportedly started over a woman. At that point the suspect was
issued a notice to appear in court for a small amount of marijuana he had,
and was allowed to leave until more investigation could be done.

Later that afternoon, the victim was able to talk to Detective
Donald Catala, who was assigned to investigate the case. His statement, along
with information from the victim's physician about his injuries, provided enough
evidence to arrest the suspect, 26 year old Peter Wiegmann. He was found at
the Key West airport and was placed under arrest, charged with aggravated battery
and he was booked into the Monroe County Detention Center.

The victim will require surgery to repair a broken eye socket,
broken jaw and a broken nose.

Tavernier man charged with threats, stalking and burglary

Islamorada - A Tavernier man was arrested Friday just before 7
a.m. after he broke into a house where his ex-girlfriend was staying and threatened
both her and the man she was staying with.

When he broke into the house at the 87 mile marker of the highway,
34 year old John Cox violated an injunction protecting the victim from him.
Prior to the break in, he called the victim a number of times threatening to
do violence to her and to the man she was staying with. On Friday morning,
he allegedly forced his way in to the house and, in front of a witness, held
the victim down on the bed. He reportedly told her he would crush her head
and the head of the man she was staying with. He reportedly said when he was
done, they would not have "pretty little faces". He also said if he went to
jail, he would kill them both when he was released.

When the witness called 911 for help, Cox fled the residence. He
was found at the 88 mile marker of the highway, walking back to his truck which
was parked a short distance away. He was arrested and charged with violating
the injunction, aggravated stalking, battery and burglary and he was booked
into the Monroe County Detention Center.

Woman arrested for obtaining prescriptions by fraud; also wanted
for Doctor Shopping

Marathon - A Tavernier woman was
arrested August 17th for obtaining seven prescriptions for pain medication
under a fraudulent name. She also has an outstanding warrant for 14 counts
of the crime known as Doctor Shopping.

Detectives from the Sheriff's Special Investigations Division began
investigating a report from a Marathon doctor about a woman he'd given a number
of prescriptions to. The doctor suspected she may have a problem with prescription
medication, and he suspected she may have been doctor shopping - obtaining
prescriptions from numerous doctors at the same time without letting the doctors
know she was seeing others for the same medications.

During the course of the
investigation, detectives discovered that 30 year old Joann Hardee had been
prescribed medication under a fraudulent name: Joann Gilliland. Her doctor
said she had come to him repeatedly under that name asking for pain medication
for a toothache or other pain. He said he repeatedly told her to make an
appointment to address her ailment, but she kept making excuses about why she
couldn't make an appointment. On seven different occasions she obtained prescriptions
under the false name, receiving 448 Percocet pills and 148 Vicodin between
April and August. On August 17th, she was charged with seven counts of obtaining
prescriptions by fraud.

In the parallel Doctor Shopping investigation, it was discovered
that Hardee had seen three different doctors between April and August of this
year. During that time, in addition to the Percocet and Vicodin mentioned above,
she received another 300 Vicodin, 180 Valium pills, 100 Oxycodone and 100 Hydrocodone.
A warrant was issued for her arrest for 14 counts of Doctor shopping. The warrant
is outstanding and detectives are attempting to locate Hardee in order to serve
it. She was released from the Detention Center on the previous charges the
same day as her arrest after posting a $5,000 bond.

Miami man driving erratically; arrested for marijuana

Stock Island - A Miami man was arrested for possessing marijuana
and driving with a suspended license after a deputy spotted him driving erratically.

Deputy Brian Kibbe was on patrol Thursday at 11:30 p.m. when he
saw a 1995 Cadillac weaving and speeding as it crossed the Cow Key Channel
bridge northbound. He pulled the car over. The driver, William Mercado, admitted
to having a suspended license and he was placed under arrest. Other deputies
arrived as back up, and a Key West Police K-9 team arrived to check the vehicle.
The dog alerted on two locations: on a cooler, and on the driver's seat. Small
amounts of marijuana were found in both locations, in a cup in the cooler,
and hidden in the seat

Mercado was further charged with possession of marijuana. Over
$500 in cash was found in his pocket, which was seized for possible forfeiture.
Mercado was booked into the Monroe County Detention Center.

August 17, 2005

Stock Island man arrested for battery and false imprisonment

A three-week investigation into a possible attempted abduction
of a nine-year-old girl culminated this week with the arrest of 48-year old
Mark R. Penly. The investigation began July 21 on Stock Island when the nine
year old related to family members that a man told her to come with him and
grabbed her arm while she was in the yard outside her mobile home on Stock
Island. The young girl said the suspect jumped from behind a trashcan, grabbed
her arm and said “honey
let’s go.” The victim said she screamed, kicked at the suspect
and escaped to safety after pulling away from him. Family members immediately
called the Sheriff’s Office. The victim told responding deputies that
she had earlier spotted the suspect looking at her at the community pool in
Key West and at a Flagler Avenue business location. Road patrol deputies and
members of the Sheriff’s Crimes against Women and Children Unit began
an investigation that led to Penly, who lives on Stock Island. Deputies knew
Penly and were aware that his description fit that of the suspect. Officers
took photos of Penly, which were used in a photo lineup that resulted in positive
identification by the victim. Detectives, with the assistance of Key West Police
detectives, also confirmed through witnesses that Penly was the man spotted
by the girl on the two previous occasions. Detectives obtained a warrant on
August 11 charging Penly with battery and false imprisonment. Bond was set
at 150 thousand dollars. On August 15, Sheriff’s detective Manny Cuervo
spotted Penly on Flagler Avenue. Detective Cuervo took Penly into custody without
incident and booked him at the county detention center. Sheriff’s detective
Linda Mixon also worked the case.

Little Torch Key - A Big Pine Key man is in jail, charged with
throwing an explosive device at a vehicle parked at a Little Torch Key residence
in July.

According to Deputy Rick Schulze and Detective Jeremy Davy, 35
year old Timothy Nellis admitted to throwing the homemade device a at a van
parked on LaGrande Avenue on July 14th at 6:30 a.m. He said he made the device
by filling a Budweiser beer bottle with gasoline, and using toilet paper to
make a wick. A witness who was walking her dog said she saw Nellis drive up
in a silver colored Ford truck. She then heard glass breaking and an explosion.
He said he did it to scare the man who lives in the house, 36 year old Robert
Wilhide. Wilhide was outside, near the van at the time. After the explosion,
he got in the van and drove it away from the fire saving it from substantial
damage.

According to the victim and the suspect, the two men met the night
before. They both admit to driving around trying to buy cocaine. They reportedly
ended up in the parking lot of a bar on Big Pine Key, where the suspect, Nellis,
is employed. They got into a fight. The victim says he knocked Nellis down
repeatedly. He could not recall the suspect's name, however.

Detective Davy went to the bar where the suspect reportedly worked.
He asked the bar's owner if any of his employees showed up for work with facial
injuries. He said one of his cooks, who he identified as Nellis, had bruises
on his face and a sore jaw. When the detective interviewed Nellis, he admitted
to throwing the device at the victim's van. He said he did not want to hurt
him, just wanted to scare him.

Detective Davy obtained a warrant for Nellis' arrest. On Wednesday,
Nellis turned himself in at the Monroe County Detention Center. He was charged
with manufacturing an incendiary device and with throwing the deadly missile
at the vehicle. Bond on the warrants was set at $25,000.00.

Key West - A Key West man who was wanted on outstanding warrants
fled from deputies who spotted him driving his vehicle on North Roosevelt Boulevard
Wednesday afternoon.

At 5 p.m., Sheriff's dispatchers issued a notice to be on the lookout
for 26 year old Jermaine Roberts. Roberts was wanted on outstanding warrants,
and was reported to be driving a blue GMC sport utility vehicle. Deputy Edgar
Piniero spotted the vehicle on North Roosevelt Boulevard and attempted to pull
it over. Roberts fled, speeding down numerous streets, running a number of
stop signs as he tried to elude capture.

Roberts finally turned down Trinity Drive, a dead end. He pulled
to a stop, jumped out and ran. Back up officers arrived from the Sheriff's
Office and Key West Police Departments. They surrounded the area, and chased
Roberts who fled through the residential area, through the yards of houses
and through a nearby construction site clearly marked with "No Trespassing"
signs. He was finally caught near an area hotel and was taken into custody.
A search of his vehicle turned up an open beer he had been drinking as he was
driving. A search of the area where he was caught turned up a plastic bag with
a white powder inside which turned out to be cocaine.

Roberts was charged with reckless driving, fleeing from police,
resisting arrest, possession of cocaine, driving with a suspended license,
having an open container of alcohol in the vehicle, and trespassing.

Roberts had outstanding warrants for a domestic battery incident
which took place July 5th. The victim is Robert's wife, who reported being
hit repeatedly by him as they drove southbound on U.S. One in her car. As a
result of that incident, Roberts was charged with violating a court ordered
injunction to stay away from her, and with battery. He was booked into the
Monroe County Detention Center.

Marathon - Three people were arrested Wednesday, charged with obtaining
multiple prescriptions from doctors for narcotics.

The investigation into this
activity began in June when a physician in Marathon reported that he had
suspicions about one of his patients, 23 year old Colleen Holbert, of Marathon.
He said Holbert had on numerous occasions told him she'd lost her prescriptions
so she could obtain new ones. That, and other behavior, led him to become suspicious
that she might be acting illegally to obtain drugs.

Detectives from the Sheriff's
Special Investigations Division began investigating and discovered that Holbert
had obtained narcotics from two separate doctors within the space of 12 days
in April. She was prescribed 48 Endocet twice, and 40 Darvocet. A warrant
was obtained for Holbert's arrest for obtaining a prescription from more than
one doctor within 30 days without informing them she was seeing other doctors
at the same time.

In July, two more investigations were initiated into the same type
of behavior. Detectives discovered that 47 year old Kenneth Holbert, Colleen
Holbert's husband, and 46 year old Diana Tolliver, who lives on Big Pine Key,
were both obtaining multiple prescriptions from more than one physician in
Marathon. Holbert had been seeing two doctors and had received 14 prescriptions
for narcotics from one between February 7th and June 17th of this year. The
other doctor issued 7 prescriptions during the same time period, also for narcotics.
Holbert obtained 300 Oxycontin pills, 330 Oxycodone pills, 90 Alprazolam pills
and 216 Endocet pills from the two doctors. Tolliver had seen four doctors
between May 9th and June 19th. She obtained 7 prescriptions for a total of
341 Hydrocodone pills.

Warrants were obtained for their arrest as well, and on Wednesday
detectives arrested all three and they were booked into the Monroe County Detention
Center. "Doctor Shopping" is a third degree felony crime carrying
a possible penalty of up to five years in prison.

August 5, 2005

Stabbing suspect in jail; victim at Lower Keys Hospital

A Stock Island man is in jail charged with stabbing another man in the chest
with a knife.

The incident took place at 11 p.m. in the parking lot of Stock Island Apartments
on 3rd Avenue. 19 year old Maria Rodriguez told Deputies Henry Amole and Tom
Walker she was getting out of her car with her boyfriend, 42 year old Jesus
Gomez, when her ex-husband, 27 year old Daniel Garcia, grabbed her. Gomez and
Garcia then began to argue and Garcia took out a six inch long knife and began
cutting him. Gomez was cut on both arms, and suffered a stab wound on the right
side of his chest.
Rodriguez took the victim to the hospital, then called Sheriff's Office dispatchers
to report the stabbing. Deputies responded to the hospital to find out what
took place.

During the course of the investigation, Deputy Walker spoke with a man who
works with Garcia at the Key West Citizen Newspaper. The co-worker said earlier,
while they were both at work, Garcia talked about killing his ex wife and said
he had a knife. The co-worker tried to keep Garcia from leaving, but could
not stop him. He said he went looking for Garcia later, but couldn't find him.

At midnight, Garcia reportedly called the co-worker and told him he was at
home, on Miriam Street, Stock Island. The co-worker called the Sheriff and
reported Garcia's location and Deputies Walker and Amole picked him up on Miriam
Street near 12th Avenue a short time later. He was positively idenfied by the
victim and by Rodriguez and he was arrested. Garcia was charged with aggravated
battery and he was booked into the Monroe County Detention Center.

August 2, 2005

Plane wreckage found along with fourth victim

Lower Keys - With the help of a commercial fisherman and the Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Sheriff's Office located the
wreckage of the plane which crashed Saturday night off of Boca Chica Key.

The wreckage was found about a mile offshore, north and east of
Boca Chica Key. It was located on the bottom, in about 28 feet of water. The
fourth victim, a male, was found in the wreckage. His body, which has yet to
be identified, was transported to the Medical Examiner's Office.

The location of the wreck was discovered by a commercial fisherman
who was using a depth finder and noticed a large bump on the bottom of the
ocean that he did not remember as being there before. At the same time, he
saw bubbles rising to the surface and smelled a gasoline odor. He marked the
GPS coordinates, and then reported them to FWC Officer Marty Messier, who relayed
them to the Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff's Office divers, on board a vessel captained by Deputy
Paul Schultz, were already on the water getting ready continue the search for
the plane when they received the coordinates. When they dove at the location
they were given, they found the plane and the victim.

The Sheriff's Office has been in contact with the National Transportation
Safety Board and they will now be taking over. They have
been given the GPS coordinates of the wreck and will be responding to the Keys
to handle the rest of the recovery and investigation. The Medical Examiner's
Office has all four victims and is working on identifying each one. Family
members have been notified and a number of them have already traveled to the
Keys.

Lower Keys - The Monroe County Sheriff's Office has assumed responsibility
for the search and recovery of a plane that crashed Saturday night in lower
Keys waters. This morning (Tuesday) a third body - that of a woman - was
recovered from the vicinity of Cow Key Channel.

The Cessna single engine aircraft carrying four people took off
from the Key West airport shortly after 9 p.m. The plane was reportedly flying
from Key West to Marathon, and then to New Smyrna Beach. After reportedly making
radio contact with the air traffic control tower on the Naval Air Station,
the plane was not heard from again. Efforts by navy personnel to find it at
various area airports that evening were unsuccessful. One phone report to Sheriff's
Office dispatchers at 9:22 p.m. by someone claiming to have seen a plane crash
led to a search by the United States Coast Guard, but no plane was found in
the water Saturday night.

On board the plane were the pilot, Krystal
Koch, 21, of Edgewater, Florida; and passengers, Bruno Asmann, Piers Littleford,
and Egon Sussmann, 31, of Deland, FL. Where the other two male victims are
from and their age is not currently available.

Sunday morning, just before 8 a.m., a boater called Sheriff's Office
dispatchers to report finding the wing of a plane in the waters of Boca Chica
Channel, on the bayside of the Boca Chica bridge. A short time later, a male
body was recovered from the Cow Key channel, and another male body washed up
Sunday near Smather's Beach in Key West. The limb of another body believed
to be male was found late Monday near the White Street pier. A plane seat and
a tire were also recovered.

Searches by air and water all day Sunday and most of Monday failed
to locate the plane crash site or any further victims. Tuesday morning, a female
body was found near Cow Key by a boater. The United States Coast
Guard assisted the Sheriff's Office in recovering that body, which has been
transported to the Medical Examiner's Office for identification.

Members of the Sheriff's Office are meeting this morning to discuss
plans for continuing the search for the crash site. Once the plane crash site
is found, the investigation will be handed over to the National Transportation
Safety Board.

August 1, 2005

Aggravated Battery

Stock Island - Sheriff’s deputies Saturday night
arrested 27-year old Javier Parrado-Yanes on aggravated battery charges after
he cut a man with a broken beer bottle during a fight on Stock Island. Deputies
initially responded to a report of a fight outside of a seafood business
on Stock Island shortly after nine p.m. Deputies found 39-year old Terrance
Ridgeway bleeding from lacerations to his right shoulder and left arm. Ridgeway
told the officers that Parrado stabbed him with a beer bottle. Officers searched
the area for Parrado-Yanes and took him into custody about two hours after
the incident. Ridgeway was taken to the hospital for treatment of his wounds,
which reportedly were not serious. Parrado-Yanes was taken to the Monroe
County Detention Center. Both men are Stock Island residents.

Escapee returns to Monroe County

Monroe County - An escapee from the Marathon
jail, who was apprehended in North Carolina last month, is back in the
Monroe County jail facing escape charges. 24-year old Lonnie Parrish, who
is from N. Carolina, escaped April 25 by climbing onto a roof in the recreation
yard, throwing a blanket over razor wire that topped a chain link fence and
climbing over the fence. Parrish was initially arrested in the Keys on November
14, 2004 on battery charges. Buncombe County, North Carolina authorities
apprehended Parris and held him for extradition to the Keys. Parrish is being
held under a 250 thousand dollar bond.